Smoke Session – Lambsbread by Rouge Raven

EditOctober 17th, 2017: Exactly one year ago, Rouge Raven was found to be in violation of the state’s pesticide rules. Until I get a better sense of what happened and what’s changed since then, it’s hard to outright recommend Rouge Raven. That being said, I wasn’t disappointed by this purchase. Whether I consistently support this brand definitely remains to be seen. Stay tuned!

I’ve been back in the Pacific Northwest for almost three months now. As the summer warmth gives way to falling leaves, I find myself daydreaming about some of Chicago’s culinary comforts. Nothing like the people and food of a local eatery, eh? Today, I was daydreaming about jerk chicken and Jamaican meat pies on my way to Greenside Recreational‘s Seattle location on Lake City Way. The weed store wasn’t serving up any edible caribbean classics, but I did find this:

This just might hit the home-sick spot

Lambsbread is considered a Jamaican landrace cultivar and back home, you probably wouldn’t have to leave a local jerk chicken joint to come across someone selling it. In times past, it was the only thing available for months at a time. Here in Washington State, Rouge Raven isn’t new to the I-502 market and it’s frankly unexplainable that I haven’t tried this yet.

It honestly doesn’t have much bag appeal, but the dark lime hue and reddish hairs are all too familiar. It smells the part, too. A blend of spicy earth tones and sweet citrus blend well into a sweet, floral aroma. I can almost smell the cafeteria meat pies cooking in the background!

The spiciness of this herb comes out most prominently in its flavor profile but the smoky, earthy taste isn’t far behind. Finally the delicate sweetness lingers in the mouth so long as one takes care to keep combustion temps low.

The effects of a toke aren’t immediately apparent. Not so much because it creeps up on you like a sedative variety of cannabis, but because the onset is just… well, sneaky! Landrace cannabis from the Pakistani region (Hindu Kush comes to mind) tends to have a delayed onset that strikes the mind and body like a gong about twenty minutes after inhaling it. That effect is commonly described as a ‘creeper’. Lambsbread, however, is considered a Jamaican landrace, and although its ancient origins are probably also in Asia, it’s very distinct from Pakistani and Indian cultivars, known as Indicas.

If that didn’t mean anything to you, Lambsbread is a Sativa. If that didn’t mean anything to you, this is a pretty intense and cerebrally stimulating type of marijuana. Lambsbread slowly opens throttle on the mental motors but the acceleration is smooth enough that I think people sometimes forget to look at the speedometer until they’ve hit speeds of confusion, paranoia, or disorientation. To others like myself, that seems to spell focus and concentration. Different folks, different tokes.

So what’s the verdict? I’m impressed. Rouge Raven delivered a bag full of midwest memories a good 3,000 miles from the block. I paid $13 for a gram and at that price, this might not draw crowds in the Pacific Northwest, but it’s putting a smile on my face (plus some red in my eyes) and a checkmark next to the name Rouge Raven. For now.